The Boeing Company

John G Macke, Jr

David Michael Dietrich

Michael William Hayes

John E Inman

Robert D Washington

The disclosure provides in one embodiment for an integral seal for a drill template tool for a structure having an outside mold line surface fabricated according to a precise definition using computer aided design (CAD). The integral seal comprises an inner surface in contact with an interior portion of a continuous groove portion formed in a bottom surface of a vacuum housing of the drill template tool. The integral seal further comprises an outer surface in contact with the structure. The integral seal is formed in the groove portion on the bottom surface of the vacuum housing, and the groove portion is formed using one of selective laser sintering, fused deposition modeling, or stereolithography, during fabrication of the drill template tool. The integral seal prevents leakage of fluids and debris generated by a drilling process of the structure.

Drill template tool with integral seal

A method and apparatus may be present for manufacturing. A shell may be formed having a support structure located in a cavity in which the shell and the support structure may be formed using an additive manufacturing system from a design of a tool. The cavity of the shell may be filled with a filler material through an opening in the shell. The shell may be cured with the filler material to form the tool.

Growing community of inventors

St. Charles, MO, United States of America

John G Macke, Jr